Trolley frog switch



Jan. 10, 1950 F. H. RICHTERKESSING 2,494,409

TROLLEY FROG-SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1946 INVENTOR ANl-iH. EICHTEJZKESSHQG FFQ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1950 to GheathamElectric Switching Device 00.,3111- corporated, Louisville, Ky, acorporation of Kentucky Application April 22, 1945, Serial No. 664,060

3 Claims. (Cl. 191-38) The present inventioni'elates to -=overheadtrolley frog-switches that guide-"trolley collectors, whether of thewheel -or shoetype, in a selected or predetermined path as the electricvehicle on which the collector is-rnounted travels over the straight ora turnout course. This has reference to vehicles of both dirigible andrail types.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide afrog-switch body structure and the auxiliary parts thereof with featuresthat have inherent properties that contribute to use over a muchlonger'period than found in'similar devices known heretofore.

Another object of my invention is to provide a universal adjustabletrolley frog-switch wherein the main body is constructed with oniv themore enduring or permanent portions .as a unit while those members thatare necessarily subjected to the greatest mechanical and electricalabrasion, thereby requiring. replacement .oftener than the main can bereplaced independently of one another without disturbing the said switchbody after the complete trolley frogswitch has been installed forselectively directing trolley collectors- Other objects and advantageswill appear as a description of the physical embodimentsselected toillustrate the several elements of my invention progresses and the novelfeatures-will beparticularly pointed out the appended claims.

My invention residesin thenew and novel construction, the combinationand relation of the various parts described and disclosed inaccompanyingdrawings. showing a commercial embodiment:

Figure .1 is a top plan view of my complete trolley frog-switch andready for installation as part of a trolley system.

Figure 2v is a side elevational view-inf Fig. 1."

' of Fig. 5, also in sectional elevation.

Figure 7 is a view along line of Fig. 6 to show the top face of clamp1A.

2 Figure 8 is an elevation on reduced scale of face I8A-of theright handextremity of arm A. Figure 9 is a side elevation of tongue 31!. Figures10 and 1-1 show sections along lines Hl-lfl and ll-H respectively ofFig. '2. I

The elongated body member designated by numeral I0 is preferably formedof cast material, such as malleable bronze, with integral flanges ME,"IF and channeled arms or runners A and 0, each having an, integral earH that terminate in eyes 12 for receiving a guy or supporting span wire.Thesewires, not shown in the drawings, are in turn secured 'to poles orbuildings according to conventional practice for locating thefrog-switch for use. Similar ears 1 IA and I IB with eyes l2 alsoproject from body it! for receiving supporting wires.

Arms A and C of body 10 and arm B integral with adjustable separablebracket 2i secured to the body by bolts 22'23 are each fashioned toreceive an ear of the type shown by numeral ll. This car functions forsecuring the end of a trolley wire thereto.

The outer end portions of channelled arms A and B are shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3 without having an ear attached thereto while arm C is shown withear I4 secured in place. These end portions are similarly formedconsequently a description of the plan view of the end portion of arm Aand the elevational view of the end pertion of arm B together with crosssectional view thereof shown in Figs. 10 and 11 will suilice for thespecific structure common to all of said end portions. Hole MB in onelip ofthe grooved arm and hole 18C in the other lip are provided forreceiving bolts identical with 15 and It shown secured to arm 0 where-ftcan be noted that the inside faces of the heads of these bolts are indirect contact withjuxtaposed vertical paral- :lel faces of car 14,thereby forcing the opposite faces of said ear in direct contact withinner "faces of the groovethereby insuring a perfect electrical contactbetweenthe" ear and arm projecting end of shaft 33. 30A is attached tothe projecting end of shaft .32 which serves asa collar to retain thetongue 30 in its operating position.

vantage for the maintainer since it frees one hand when the ear isinstalled or replaced.

A side elevation of ear I4 is shown in full and broken lines in Fig. 2while the top view is shown in full lines in Fig. 1. These figures bothshow the end of conductor grooved trolley wire 13 secured thereto byconventional means.

In Figs. 1 and 3, bracket 21 shown in full lines is disposed on boss MAat an angle approximately 12 degrees in terms of the longitudinal axisof body l while in Fig. 1 this bracket is.

1 are passed through the other set of holes, these bolts 23, 22 are thenpassed through holes 24, 25, respectively, and secured. It should benoted that opening MB in body member !3 has been provided to affordclearance for the pointed end CI of the tongue depending from arm B toextend inwardly for alignment with runners 30 and 3!.

The renewable feature, just explained, is one of the elementsincorporated in my trolley frogswitch that enables the main body portionto be retained in service over an unusually long period of use sinceapproach tongue ZIA or its equivalent arm of all frogs is subjected toexcessive mechanical and electrical erosion. Obviously the unit can beadjusted for either a right hand or a left hand frog by the maintainereither at the outset or subsequent to the initial installation. r

Fig. shows tongues 30 and 31 as depending from shafts 32, 33respectively mounted in bearings 34, 35, vertically disposed in bodymember H1. The remote free ends of these tongues are ,pivoted to link oryoke 36 that travels in recess 31, shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Power foroperating these tongues is applied to lever 38 that is secured by meansof clamp 32 and bolt 393 to the A similar clamp As actuating power isapplied to arm 38, tongue 31 is moved either to the solid or the dottedline position, shown in Fig. 3. Since tongue 30 is pivotally attached totongue 3| by means of link .36, tongue 3! will also be maintained inparallel relation to the former end moved in unison therewith.

The'modification shown in Figs. 6 and l-may By using clamp IA attachedto the top end of shaft 33 the tongue 3| is held in position when shaftextension 33A to which operat-. in lever 38A is attached by bolt 3813.The lower end of extension 33A is equipped with four pins 3 IC organizedfor alignment with holes 3ID in the top face of clamp IA.

While I have shown and described a preferred commercial embodiment of myinvention, I desire it to be understood that changes may be effectedthereon without departing from its spirit and scope as set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A trolley frog-switch for a current collector comprising abody-member having a pair of angularly disposed runners integraltherewith and a separate longitudinally spaced runner adjustably mountedon said body-member for guiding a current collector carried by a vehicleonto and off the said switch; two pivoted guide tongues operativelyassociated with the runners for guiding a-collector from the adjustablerunner to one of the other runners as determined by the position of oneof said tongues; each tongue having a shaft and bearing in said bodywith the axis thereof disposed adjacent the end of a runner and in axialalignment with the longitudinal axis of the runner with which it isassociated, said tongue being provided with means for receiving anoperating force.

2. A trolley frog-switch for. acurrent collector comprising incombination. a body-member having a pair of angularly disposed runnersintegral therewith and a separate longitudinally spaced runner dependingfrom a bracket adjustably secured to said body-member for guiding acurrent collector onto and off the said switch; two pivoted guidetongues operatively associated with the runners for guiding a collectorcarried by a Vehicle from the adjustable runner to one of the otherrunners as determined by the position of one of saidtongues; leachtongue having at one end thereof a shaft pivotedin, said body and at theother end pivotal means operatively/associated with a link fortransmitting an operating force from one tongue to the other.

3. A trolley frog-switch for a; current collector comprising abody-member having longitudinally disposed flanges depending therefromand a. plurality of longitudinally spaced runners for guiding a currentcollector onto and 011 the said switch; two guide tongues disposedwithin said flanges and pivoted at one end thereof in. said body memberand operatively associatedwith the runners for guiding a collectorcarried by a vehicle from an approach runner to a leaving runner asdetermined by the position of said tongues; each tonguehaving at theother end thereof pivotal means disposed within said flanges andoperatively associated with alink also disposed within said flanges fortransmitting an operating force from one tongue to the other.

' FRANK H. RICHTERKESSING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES- PATENTS Number .Name Date 525,598 Greenwood Sept. 4, 1894569,972 Langen Oct. 20, 1396 2,288,681 Chandler July '7, 1942 MatthesOct. 27, 1942

